Does your Gaming Ego Allow Simple Games???

OGRE was an okay game, but I completely lost interest in it when SJ Games tried to push it as a miniatures game in the '90s.

And made it less accessible. They need to go back to its roots. Don't even worry about G.E.V. just yet, just plain old OGRE. None of this "Ogrethulhu" crap, no MUNCHKIN OGRE...just OGRE, with a retro visual style and some upgraded cardboard components.

Shellhead wrote:

OGRE was an okay game, but I completely lost interest in it when SJ Games tried to push it as a miniatures game in the '90s.

To this day, I have never seen a single game of Ogre Miniatures actually being played. Nor have I ever witnessed even a single unit being purchased. And the idea itself seems to have generated almost zero buzz or discussion in the last 10 years.

If I didn't know better, I'd think the whole thing didn't exist. I'm ready to write it off as SJ Games' "New Coke" moment.

Michael Barnes wrote:

We don't talk about OGRE enough around here. That game is a masterpiece. G.E.V. is pretty awesome too. I have the old "Video cassette box" version but I heard there was an update forthcoming...anybody know anything?

That's the unplayed edition I got when I finally decided to get my own copy. I've never played Ogre itself, but I've played a fair amount of GEV, which is as good a microgame as you'll get. It took me 20 years finally to beat my pal at GEV. I can still remember the different expressions on his face as he went through the various stages of disbelief as I actually managed to stop repeating all the same old mistakes from our previous games. That was sweet. Heh!

the*mad*gamer wrote:

I play Ogre. [As well as any number of other Metagaming and SJG pocket games]. It takes 10 minutes to teach and has fewer [and more clearly written] rules than Carcassonne. AND it has a CRT. And Really Big Tanks. That think. On their own. And hate you very much.

Greatest. Game. Ever.

I love Orge. How many times have defeated the Ogre?

The Mark III, with some frequency--that was a pretty even match-up. The Mark V? Only when I used infantry as human stickybombs [or Teller mines at least] and clogged up the treads with little chunks of meat while harrassing with GEVs. This was the very first game with a CRT I ever played. It was my "gateway" to Panzerblitz/leader and Squad Leader after that

I was shocked to find another set of expansions *after* Shockwave not too long ago. I have no idea when it came out, but it had all kinds of new units [and you STILL have to cut 'em out with an exacto].

I also found an unpunched copy of the the very cool "deluxe" edition of ogre with the standup counters and heavy map.

As far as 6th ed. goes, SJG just doesn't know how to produce stuff like what he envisioned for it [hell, they hardly ever came up with a regular production game with die-cut counters; plastic bits might as well be flying car technology for SJG]. I wish they'd work a deal with someone like FFG to handle the production.

And, I have actually seen games of Ogre miniatures being played [it helped living a few blocks from the long-time home of GenCon in Milwaukee; I got to see lots of things I'd never expect to see otherwise]. It's fun, but it's like Deluxe ASL--neat idea but just unnecessary.

GEV was the first hex and counter game I truly loved to play. It was compact enough that I could carry it in my backpack to school. During lunch my friends and I would play game after game killing tanks and talking trash. The later Shockwave expansion just made it better. So much fun packed into a small box and all for $6.50. Talk about getting serious bang for your buck.

SJG should take note of what FFG did for Red November and model a new version of Ogre and/or GEV with the same production ideals. Small box, reasonable price point, some upgraded components with the goal of maximum gameplay in a small package. It would sell like hotcakes I think.

-Will

Michael Barnes wrote:

And made it less accessible. They need to go back to its roots. Don't even worry about G.E.V. just yet, just plain old OGRE. None of this "Ogrethulhu" crap, no MUNCHKIN OGRE...just OGRE, with a retro visual style and some upgraded cardboard components.

Barnes, I dunno if you've seen it, but they did do that once upon a time. You can see it here: www.boardgamegeek.com/image/208310?size=medium

Big heavy mounted map and standup counters. It's cool, and could probably be reprinted without a big problem. That said, I'm of the camp that a new edition really needs to include the whole GEV/Shockwave/OGRE Battlefields [the post-Shockwave expansion I couldn't recall earlier]. I don't care about minis or even large counters--heavy diecut counters and cardstock maps would be fabulous...